Midnight Star
By Nebula Star
Chapter 11: Shattered Harmony
***
The library was silent for several long moments as they all realized that Celestia had lost all hope; that the princess of the sun had resigned herself to defeat. Finally though, Applejack stepped in front of her.
“Buck up, Princess! We can't just go losin' hope now,” Applejack scolded, surprising Celestia as very few other than Luna had ever spoken to her in such a way. “It ain't over 'til it's over. So this Midnight Star has us in a bind. Well it's not like we haven't been in trouble before, and Ah know the one thing we can't afford to do is give up!”
Celestia slowly smiled and nodded. She was right.
“And don't you worry about wielding the Elements, 'cause you don't have to wield them alone.” Applejack went on. “I think by now we all know you well enough to consider you our friend, Princess. So if you just stand in for Twilight, I'm sure we can give the Elements all the power they need to beat Midnight Star.”
Celestia looked at her surprised; 'friend'? Then she slowly looked around at all the rest of Twilight's friends. It was true; she had gotten to know them all in the years since she'd sent Twilight to live here in Ponyville, as much from her own experiences with them as from the many friendship reports that all of them had sent her. But she'd always thought of them as Twilight's friends. She'd never really thought of them as hers.
As she looked around at them though, she saw they were all watching her and they all seemed to be in agreement with Applejack. She had never expected that when she'd sent her student here to Ponyville with the simple instructions to make some friends, that she would end up with a new group of friends as well. She smiled looking around at all of them. “Thank you, all of you. I would be proud to consider you all my friends.”
“We're all proud to be your friends too, Princess.” Applejack told her smiling getting nods of agreement from all the others. “Now, we all have another friend in need. So what do ya say we work together and use the Elements to free Twilight.”
“Yes, you're right, Applejack. With all of your help, and me wielding the element of magic in Twilight's place, the Elements should be more than enough to defeat Midnight Star and free Twilight from her.” Celestia said, with confidence born of their new-found friendship. Then she went to where they had gathered the Elements and carefully picked up the Element of Magic crown, placing it on her head with her wings. Her own crown she had lost during her fight with Midnight.
“It is a good thing though, that a pony doesn't need magic to wield the Elements, even the Element of Magic,” she said when she fumbled a little to get the crown on straight; she'd hardly ever used her wings in such a way though Pegasi did all the time. Perhaps she took her magic for granted sometimes.
The other five then took up their Elements as well, though Pinkie had to be encouraged to, and put hers on with a sigh.
“I think with all of you by my side, I'm ready to face her,” Celestia said with a smile.
“Good, because I think we're running out of time,” Rainbow said, standing over by the window.
“Why's that?” Celestia asked going back over by the window as well. Rainbow just pointed in answer. Celestia looked and saw immediately what she was pointing at. It was the moon, but not as it had been for the past few years, now it once again bore the silhouette of the mare in the moon. “Luna...” Celestia said softly seeing it and knowing what it meant. Her sister had been defeated and Midnight Star had banished her once again to the moon.
Luna and Discord had managed to hold Midnight back for nearly five hours. Celestia could only begin to imagine how, considering how quickly she had been defeated. But now, with their fall, it wouldn't be long before Midnight came searching for her once more.
“At least we know she's alive,” Applejack offered.
Celestia sighed, but nodded. “Yes, and once we defeat Midnight, Twilight should be able to free her again. It's just one more thing for us to fight for.”
“How long would it take her to fly from Canterlot to here?” Applejack asked, directing the question at Rainbow.
Rainbow took a deep breath, reminded all to keenly of her own injuries by the question, but she was the one to ask. “Assuming she has the same capabilities as Twilight; at Twilight's normal flight speed it would take about three hours, maybe a bit more,” she answered.
“Then for now, I guess we just wait.”
~~~
They didn't have to wait long before they spotted the wave of emerald flames and renewed destruction that marked Midnight's flight across Equestria toward Ponyville. They watched as the chaos drew closer and closer to their town knowing that when it reached them, Midnight Star would arrive.
Rainbow Dash stood at the window, watching as the flames drew closer and closer. She was determined to see Midnight defeated. Though all she could do was lend her strength to the Element's of Harmony, she would do her part to see to it that the one that had taken her dreams paid for her crimes.
Scootaloo had finally fallen asleep. Despite everything going on, she was still a filly and needed her sleep. Rainbow was grateful to her for all she'd done, but still, she was glad the filly had fallen asleep. When Midnight arrived things could get rough, and she didn't want Scootaloo getting caught up in it.
It was almost time. The wave of chaotic destruction was only a few hills away outside of Ponyville. They didn't doubt that Midnight would come searching for them at the library first. It was, after all, where the Element's of Harmony were kept.
Rainbow looked at the clock and saw it was nearly sunrise, or rather nearly time for sunrise. Without her horn Celestia couldn't use her magic to raise the sun, and with Luna banished to the moon the only pony still in Equestria that could raise the sun was Twilight, who was under the control of Midnight Star. Somehow Rainbow didn't think Midnight would want to raise the sun, a battle in the darkness of night seemed more her style.
Rainbow saw one of the nearby hills begin to break apart, emerald flames erupting from the fissures between the pieces. Taking a deep breath she turned back to the others. “She's almost here.”
Celestia stood. “Alright, it's time then. Cadence you stay in here with Shining, Scootaloo and Spike.”
Cadence nodded in agreement. She couldn't help wield the elements and was no match at all for Midnight Star so she knew it was best if she stay out of sight.
“Let's go.” Celestia said and led the way outside. They gathered in front of the library waiting for Midnight to arrive. Spotting a dark purple alicorn against a dark sky was not an easy matter however, and even as the wave of destruction reached them and the ground around them began to crack and break apart they still hadn't spotted her.
All six of them were looking around nervously as great fissures opened up all around them. The library and the grounds surrounding it were soon an island and as the fissures spread. Many of the pieces of Ponyville began to float and drift as if they were weightless. The space between the pieces continued to open wider and wider as more pieces broke away and below all the floating pieces of land they could see what appeared an endless sea of churning, smokeless, emerald flames.
They heard many screams and saw several of the Ponies of Ponyville looking out from their homes at the chaos in fear as the town continued to be consumed by the madness. But still they saw no sign of Midnight herself.
Rainbow looked up at the sky, trying to spot the dark alicorn. She was causing such destruction, they had to stop her before anypony got hurt.
Pinkie Pie sighed heavily. “Twitchy tail,” she said dully.
Without her usual enthusiasm they almost missed the warning; but they all leaped back just in time, Applejack tackling Pinkie since she wasn't moving on her own. Even as they cleared the area though something crashed down right where they'd been standing shattering with a loud crash.
Rainbow looked skyward again trying to spot where the attack had come from, but then Fluttershy gasped and she looked over at her to see what was wrong. Fluttershy was looking at the pile of rubble where they'd been standing and seemed to be on the verge of tears. Not understanding why, Rainbow followed her eyes to where she was looking and then she saw it as well. What had crashed to the ground; what had shattered, was Discord, once again turned to stone. Fluttershy was about to cry and though Rainbow had never been really friendly with Discord, she'd heard as well as everyone else how he'd come to the Princesses' defense.
Then an insane giggle drew their eyes upwards again and finally they all spotted Midnight Star as she glided down to land gracefully on one of the floating pieces of the road, separated from them by a wide gap. Rainbow took note of the changes in her appearance. Celestia had been right, she no longer appeared just like Twilight. Her colors were all wrong, and the madness in her bright red eyes was clear.
“There you are, Celestia!” Midnight said, her voice all wrong as well. "Have you finally found the courage to face your fate?" She cocked her head to the side. "It's time to die!"
Rainbow jumped in front of the princess defensively, lowering her head as if she were about to charge. She wasn't alone, all the others were right by her sides putting themselves between Celestia and Midnight. “You want the Princess, you're going to have to go through us!” Rainbow shouted in challenge.
Midnight just tossed her head back and laughed. “And what are you, a flightless pegasus, going to do to stop me!?”
“Come over here and find out!” Rainbow challenged wanting nothing more than to give her wings a good stomping.
She just continued to laugh. “Your precious Princess, lasted three seconds against me, Discord and Luna together couldn't even touch me! Do you really think you stand even the slightest chance against me!? The most powerful Alicorn in all of Equestria!?”
“You may be the most powerful pony in the world,” Celestia said stepping forward next to Rainbow as well. “You may have defeated my sister and I, as well as Discord. But it doesn't matter how powerful you may be. The Elements of Harmony will always be stronger!”
“Ah yes, your precious elements,” Midnight said with a smile that made Rainbow step back slightly. Something was wrong, she didn't seem worried at all. “I admit, the Elements of Harmony may indeed be more powerful than me. There's just one problem...” Suddenly there was a flash and Celestia gasped; then floating right in front of Midnight, held in her magic for all to see was the Element of Magic crown.
Midnight's wicked grin widened seeing their shock. “...The crown is mine,” she said. Then with an insane giggle, there were five more flashes and to Rainbow's shock she felt her Element of Loyalty necklace vanish from her neck as it joined all the other elements floating around Midnight in her magic.
“She took them! She just took the Elements!” Rarity exclaimed, her voice panicked.
“That's impossible...” Celestia gasped. “I enchanted them myself.”
Midnight threw her head back laughing at their confusion as the Elements of Harmony continued floating around her. Then she grinned wickedly and looked down at the crown as it floated closer in front of her. “Such pathetic artifacts...” She said reaching toward the crown with one hoof. “If even one should fail...” Her hoof touched the center of the star shaped element and instantly cracks spider-webbed across the gem and crown both and they crumbled, falling to the ground at her hooves in tiny fragments. “Then the rest become completely useless!”
Rainbow couldn't believe what she was seeing, with a touch she had destroyed the Element of Magic and without it...
Midnight let out another peal of laughter and then tossing her head to the side, her eyes and horn glowed with dark energy and five black crystal spears erupted from the ground around her each hitting one of the remaining elements dead center, shattering the Elements themselves and breaking the necklaces in two.